Forbes.com: 4 Steps to Reaching Your Money Goals — Faster!

April 24, 2014.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to managing my finances, I can often come up with a whole list of things I’d much rather do … including cleaning out the fridge.

But, as someone who’s studied positive psychology, I know that the first step in reaching new heights is setting a goal, and the hard part is sticking with your intention long enough to reach it.

With that in mind, I wanted to share four proven strategies to keep you on the path to wherever you’re headed with your money. Consider these pointers on the psychology of money management.

1. Identify Your Motivation

What is it you really, really want? To answer this honestly, it helps to know where your motivation comes from, explain Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, psychology professors at the University of Rochester. There are two types of motivation that govern human behavior: intrinsic motivation, which means being driven from within or doing something because we find it personally enjoyable; and extrinsic motivation, which involves being driven by something outside of ourselves or an external reward (example: studying to get a good grade, not for the sake of learning).